The Blades Arrive: First Cut
by Karugaru
Summary: A new organization, The Blades! Ambiguous title for a powerful group! Watch the chakra fly in The Blades Arrive: First Cut! Sorry about the exclamation mark thing, it seems to fit the style of the intro nicely.


"Orochimaru-sama! Orochimaru-sama! Intruders, intru—_GUWAH!_" The guard's shouting ended in a screaming gurgle. Orochimaru had heard the explosion, of course, as the east wall had crashed inward, but he was so _close_ to a new technique, and the man under the knife wouldn't have lasted long enough for him to slaughter the perpetrator. After all, that's what guards were for: to slow down the enemy long enough that you can finish your tea before you deal with him.

"Kabuto…" he said, "Take care of it."

"Yes, Orochimaru-sama," intoned the white-haired boy near him, "And I will send someone to clean up this mess right away."

Kabuto flitted away, being careful to avoid the half-a-guard smeared all over the doorjamb.

Orochimaru made a last incision and wrote something down on a notepad. Then, on the other side of the room, the darkness stirred. "Snake," said the darkness, "You knew I was here. Why did you send the boy to the east? You cannot expect him to defeat Tiger."

"That means he won't ask any… questions. Besides, he might have attacked you, and even Kabuto can't heal himself that well. So, Karyu, what business do you have in my… Lair?"

A man stepped from the darkness. He wore a fire-red hakama (samurai robe), and his earth-brown hair was tied into a top-knot with a cloth as white as the clouds. The figure's pants and gloves were as blue as water.

"Snake, something is creating an imbalance. We need all the Blades, there may—"

"Orochimaru! You said you'd train me today!"

Karyu stiffened and backed into the shadows again as a boy in a similar robe appeared in the doorway, kicking aside what was left of the guard. Crashes and screams could be heard, faintly, through the east walls. The boy in the doorway, though, wore a hakama as white as heaven; and his hair was as black as death. He wore a thin blade in the strange rope tied around his waist.

"Orochimaru," Sasuke said, "You told me you would train me today."

"Ah, yes. Today is an examination. The man in the shadows… Kill him."

"With pleasure." Sasuke drew his blade. Then, with a sound like the chirping of a thousand birds, he lunged at Karyu.

Gravel crunched under Inuwo's feet as he walked between the huge gates. In a flurry of leaves, five men, wearing green, appeared around him. The one in front spoke while the others menaced passively. "You are entering the village of Konoha. What is your business here?"

Tossing back his spiky white hair, Inuwo said, "I'm here to talk to the Hokage. Gonna let me go through?"

The five around him were rather amused by this. One of the men behind Inuwo snickered, "Yeah! That's all Orochimaru needs to do to get at Tsunade-sama, just tell us he'd like to speak with her, pretty please. Nice try, pal."

"Alright," the man in the center sighed, "I didn't want to have to do this."

The man who had spoken first later woke up in a hospital bed. He remembered the man in white pulling back his fist for an uppercut, and he remembered thinking _What does this guy think we are, Academy students? Any Genin could dodge a straight punch, especially telegraphed like that._ Then it was hazy. He vaguely recalled himself preparing to move out of the way when the wind was knocked out of him by a punch to the gut. At the same time, he saw the other four men doubling over in the same way. And then he remembered gravel crunching as the man walked away. But what was really strange… What he couldn't remember, no matter how hard he tried, was the man moving his feet at all when he punched.

Tsunade looked up from her paperwork and from her sake. A young man, even younger than she looked, stood in front of her desk, idly admiring the view from her corner-office window.

_Is that... Couldn't be. Inuwo was older than the First, and this man is younger than Kakashi._

"Ah, Tsunade. Nice to see you helping out. Is your great-uncle available?" the man asked politely.

"My great-unc... You mean the Second?!"

"Well, yes. I expect the first has retired by now, and last I heard his younger brother was the likely choice. Is he free? I need to talk to him."

_When was the last time Inuwo was in the village? Yes... It was when Grandfather was Hokage._

"Um, Inuwo-san? The First... Passed away, some time ago. And so did the Second. And then the Fourth, and the Third just recently."

"So that makes you..."

"I am the Fifth Hokage, Inuwo-san."

"Huh. That's a lot to take in, all at once. Makes things easier, though, I don't have to track down the Second. But I do need to gather the Blades together. Where is..." He pulled a piece of paper from his pocket and stared at it for a moment, "Asuma Sarutobi? Oh, Asuma, the boy who came by Headquarters with Horse a decade or two ago. I remember him. Good kid, but never did like the Tsurugi Kuchiyose Sword Summoning. Ah, well. So how's he doing?"

Tsunade sighed; this was going to be a long day.

----

Karugaru

Cut Elegant Flow


End file.
